CONCLUSION.
When I was a boy in Anson County, North Carolina, where I was born “with
a full suit of hair” about the time “the stars fell,” I had two brothers
living in Sumter County, Alabama, which was said to be six hundred miles
away. That seemed to me then to be about as much as six thousand miles
seem now. It was an inscrutable order of Providence that, after having
lived in four other States, attended two colleges, become the father of
a family, and served four years in a great civil war, I should lay down
my arms in that same Sumter County.
The details of surrender were all arranged without the appearance of a
Federal officer in our camp, the same being conducted in the most
punctilious manner and without any effort to humiliate. We were pleased
to learn that the same terms upon which Lee and Johnston had surrendered
would be accorded to us. The officers retained their arms and horses and
the men their horses. Blank paroles were furnished by the Federals.
Those of Company E were filled out in my handwriting.
The noble address of General Forrest, urging his men to become as good
citizens in peace as they had been soldiers in war, was pronounced
entirely appropriate and a model in sentiment and expression.
The ceremony of tearing up the flag, fashioned from the bridal dress of
an Aberdeen lady, was gone through with and small bits of it distributed
among the soldiers and officers of the Seventh Tennessee Regiment. I did
not think then that this was exactly the thing to do and have regretted
the proceeding since, particularly because of the liberality of the
Federal government in restoring the captured flags of the Southern
States. Ours was a regular confederate flag and made of such material
that it could have been preserved indefinitely.
In our camp it was “pretty well, I thank you; how do you do yourself?”
Billy Yank, Johnny Reb, or anybody else--a pleasant abandon in regard to
environments and no thought of prolonging the war beyond the Mississippi
or helping Maximilian to a throne in Mexico. We were going home. The
direct road to Bolivar, Tenn., over two hundred miles in length, was
uppermost in our minds. At Macon, Miss., we drew our last rations, which
were bountiful, as there was now no need of economy, and we had a long
road before us. The men were entirely without official restraint, but
those of Company E preserved their organization till we reached
Saulsbury, Tenn., where we gave the first friendly salute to Federal
soldiers, and the men went their several ways. I was riding the last few
miles with three of my former pupils. That dear good fellow and gallant
little soldier, James E. Wood, the man who rode “Sal’s Colt,” but has
been more recently a well known editor and a distinguished member of the
Arkansas senate, turned off at Middleburg and left George Bright, now of
Danville, Ky., and Billy Myrick, long since dead, with me to face the
folks at home.
The transition from soldier to citizen was easy. By a dive into my
ancient wardrobe, I secured several articles of wearing apparel, among
them a Prince Albert coat. I was not exactly _a la mode_, or whatever
the French say, but with a new blockade hat I felt “mighty fine,” and
doubtless looked as innocent of war as the Goddess of Peace. “Whatsoever
cometh to your hands to do, do it with all your might.” I acted upon
that. I opened a summer session of the Bolivar Male Academy in the
railway station on the 31st of May, 1865. The Academy building had been
defaced by the Federal army to such an extent that it was untenable, and
we had no cars running for more than three months. So much changed had
conditions become that of the sixty-six pupils in school in May, 1861,
only four, James J. Neely, Jr., George B. Peters, Jr., James Fentress,
Jr., and Charles A. Miller, returned to greet me. Seventeen of the
sixty-six entered the army, fourteen as members of Company E and three
as members of other commands. Four of the fourteen were killed on the
field and all of the others served till the close of the war. Eleven of
the seventeen are dead and six are living.
The station was a pleasant place for a summer session and boys were so
anxious for instruction that I was soon teaching seven hours a day. They
wanted Latin and Greek and mathematics, and we went at them with a will.
The roots of the verbs and the rules of syntax had only lain dormant in
my own mind during the four years and were easily recalled. The work
became so much a part of my life, and the homelike feeling of the
schoolroom returned so readily, that an assurance of my forty-odd years
of like employment would have come as a pleasing announcement. But so it
is, the forty years and more have come and gone, and I am still walking
among my fellows, hardly knowing how to put on the ways of an old man,
but in good humor with all the world. I have concluded to conclude this
book with the following conclusions:
1. That it is an everlasting pity the war was not averted because of
the great mortality of good citizens on both sides, the backset given to
the morals of the whole country, the sectional feeling engendered and
likely to endure for a season, and the loss of wealth and prestige by
the Southern people.
2. That the victors in a civil war pay dearly for their success in the
demoralization of the people at large by having so numerous an element
supported by the government; in the rascally transactions connected with
army contracts; and in the enlargement of that class of pestiferous
statesmen (?) who have been aptly described as being “invisible in war
and invincible in peace.”
3. That the most peaceful of Southern men can be readily converted into
the most warlike soldiers when convinced that they have a proper
grievance; can march further on starvation rations and in all kinds of
weather, and will take less note of disparity of numbers in battle than
will any other soldiers on earth.
4. That the South, in the war period, was essentially a country of
horseback riders, and her young men furnished the material out of which
was formed, when properly handled, regiments of cavalry that were
practically invincible, even when confronting an adversary of twice or
thrice their own strength.
5. That Forrest’s men demonstrated the fact that Southern cavalrymen,
fighting on foot, can meet, with good chances of victory, a superior
number of veteran infantry in the open field.
6. That in cavalry operations, the most essential thing is a bold and
clashing leader, who will strike furiously before the enemy has time to
consider what is coming, and with every available man in action.
7. That Nathan Bedford Forrest, by his deeds in war, became an exemplar
of horseback fighting, whose shining qualities might well become the
measure of other deeds on other fields when war is flagrant.
8. That there is not an instance recorded where so large a body of
defeated soldiers returned so contentedly to their former pursuits,
“beating their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning
hooks;” yes, thousands of them going into the fields to plough and plant
with the same horses they rode in battle.
9. That the unpreparedness of both sides at the beginning of the war
emphasizes the necessity for a thorough preparedness of our united
country for any emergency, that is to say, that while Uncle Sam needs
not to be strutting around “with a chip on his shoulder,” and his hat
cocked up on the side of his head, he should be able to say to “the
other fellow” that he is rich in men and munitions, and, moreover, has
the finest navy that floats.
10. That having taken an humble part in a great war in which I ofttimes
looked upon the pale faces of the dead and heard the groans of the
wounded, having now had fifty years, from its beginning, to reflect upon
its calamities, I am firmly of the opinion that all enlightened nations
will finally come to arbitration in the settlement of international
questions.
11. That no true picture of war can be drawn, either in words or on
canvas, because of the elements so numerous and so complex to be
considered. And even if this were possible, it would be a representation
of a horrifying spectacle.
12. That the victorious shouts of men in battle bring small remuneration
and poor consolation to the bereaved widows and orphans of their dead
comrades at home.
13. That Gen. Grant, after a wonderful experience in the bloody work of
war, knew himself thoroughly well when he uttered the memorable words:
“LET US HAVE PEACE.”
[Illustration: THE FORREST EQUESTRIAN STATUE.
FORREST PARK, MEMPHIS, TENN.]
APPENDIX.
FORREST’S FAREWELL ADDRESS.
Fitted to the occasion and apt in expression, the reading of this
address falls upon the ear like that of a classic, while it does not
suffer by comparison with more pretentious compositions of its kind.
Coming from an unlettered man at an eventful period, as did Lincoln’s
Gettysburg address, or Chief Logan’s speech, though written in small
compass, it leaves, like them, little else to be said. In sentiment, it
is lofty and full of patriotic fire. In literary form, though somewhat
rugged, like the character of its author, it exhibits qualities of a
trained writer, especially in that it teems with cogent expressions in
proper connection, which are fully explanatory of the situation. It is a
heart-word of a great commander to his soldiers, an appeal to their
better instincts, a piece of sound advice upon which they were quick to
act. To be its author brings more renown than can equestrian statues or
tablets in bronze.
HEADQUARTERS FORREST’S CAVALRY CORPS,
Gainesville, Ala., May 9, 1865.
Soldiers:--By an agreement between Lieutenant-General Taylor, commanding
the Department of Alabama, Mississippi and East Louisiana, and
Major-General Canby, commanding United States forces, the troops of this
Department have been surrendered.
I do not think it proper or necessary, at this time, to refer to the
causes which have reduced us to this extremity; nor is it now a matter
of material consequence to us how such results were brought about. That
we are beaten is a self-evident fact, and any further resistance on our
part would be justly regarded as the very height of folly and rashness.
The armies of General Lee and General Johnston having surrendered, you
are the last of all the troops of the Confederate States Army, east of
the Mississippi river, to lay down your arms.
The cause for which you have so long and so manfully struggled, and for
which you have braved dangers, endured privations and sufferings, and
made so many sacrifices, is today hopeless. The government which we
sought to establish and perpetuate is at an end. Reason dictates and
humanity demands that no more blood be shed. Fully realizing and
feeling that such is the case, it is your duty and mine to lay down our
arms, submit to the powers that be, and aid in restoring peace and
establishing law and order throughout the land.
The terms upon which you were surrendered are favorable, and should be
satisfactory and acceptable to all. They manifest a spirit of
magnanimity and liberality on the part of the Federal authorities, which
should be met, on our part, by a faithful compliance with all the
stipulations and conditions therein expressed. As your Commander, I
sincerely hope that every officer and soldier of my command will
cheerfully obey the orders given, and carry out in good faith all the
terms of the cartel.
Those who neglect the terms and refuse to be paroled may assuredly
expect, when arrested, to be sent North and imprisoned.
Let those who are absent from their commands, from whatever cause,
report at once to this place, or to Jackson, Mississippi; or, if too
remote from either, to the nearest United States post or garrison, for
parole.
Civil war, such as you have passed through, naturally engenders feelings
of animosity, hatred and revenge. It is our duty to divest ourselves of
all such feelings; and, as far as in our power to do so, to cultivate
friendly feelings toward those with whom we have so long contended, and
heretofore so widely, but honestly, differed. Neighborhood feuds,
personal animosities, and private differences should be blotted out; and
when you return home, a manly, straightforward course of conduct will
secure the respect even of your enemies. Whatever your responsibilities
may be to government, to society, or to individuals, meet them like men.
The attempt made to establish a separate and independent Confederation
has failed; but the consciousness of having done your duty faithfully
and to the end will, in some measure, repay you for the hardships you
have undergone.
In bidding you farewell, rest assured that you carry with you my best
wishes for your future welfare and happiness. Without, in any way,
referring to the merits of the cause in which we have been engaged, your
courage and determination, as exhibited on many hard-fought fields, have
elicited the respect and admiration of friend and foe. And I now
cheerfully and gratefully acknowledge my indebtedness to the officers
and men of my command, whose zeal, fidelity and unflinching bravery have
been the great source of my success in arms.
I have never, on the field of battle, sent you where I was unwilling to
go myself; nor would I now advise you to a course which I felt myself
unwilling to pursue. You _have_ been good soldiers; you _can be_ good
citizens. Obey the laws, preserve your honor, and the Government to
which you have surrendered can afford to be, and will be, magnanimous.
N. B. FORREST, Lieutenant-General.
A KINDLY REMEMBRANCE.
After a lapse of forty-six years, the author readily recalls to mind the
names of most of the one hundred and eighty-nine men who were, first and
last, enlisted in Company E, Seventh Tennessee Cavalry. As a token,
either of friendship, begotten by association in the hardships of camp
and march, or of gallantry on the field, these names are herewith
preserved:
Captains J. J. Neely, W. J. Tate, J. P. Statler, Lieutenants T. G.
Patrick, W. W. McCarley, Leonidas Bills, J. Fiske Weaver, T. N.
Crawford, Hardy Harris, W. C. Mashburn, and V. F. Ruffin.
Dr. Joe F. Allen, John Allen, John W. Bradford, Dr. F. N. Brown, R. U.
Brown, E. P. Blaylock, Stanton Blaylock, R. L. Billington, Geo. P.
Bright, Sam Breden, Tom Boucher, J. E. Carraway, N. B. Cross, W. H.
Caruth, George Campbell, A. S. Coleman, S. H. Clinton, W. T. Campbell,
Israel Dougherty, J. B. David, John W. Duncan, D. E. Durrett, R. D.
Durrett, James F. Dunlap, William Elkins, Joe Erwin, James Fentress,
Francis Fentress, John T. Fortune, William Fulghum, J. V. Field, Alex.
Gilchrist, James H. Grove, Sam Gibson, J. W. Gillespie, Thomas
Gillespie, Jesse Gibson, Orris Harris, James Hackney, Morris Hartigan,
J. T. Hundley, C. L. Harrison, Mat Hornsby, N. E. Hughes, W. C. Hardy,
Jerome Hill, J. Tom Joyner, John J. Lambert, Morris Lay, W. C. Lewis, C.
B. Linthicum, William McKinney, David McKinney, P. H. McKinnie, B. F.
Mashburn, J. E. Mashburn, Dr. R. M. Mayes, W. T. Myrick, James Moore, W.
R. Nelson, Dr. J. W. Nelson, Charles R. Neely, R. K. Neel, G. C. Neil,
Sol Phillips, William A. Polk, A. H. D. Perkins, Dock Pipkin, Austin M.
Statler, Tom Turney, P. B. Tatum, R. G. Tatum, Sherrill Tisdale, Eli
Terry, W. A. Taylor, James H. Weatherly, and James E. Wood.
* * * * *
Typographical errors corrected by the etext transcriber:
purpose of surroundng=> purpose of surrounding {pg 23}
riding a spendid mule=> riding a splendid mule {pg 39}
making an atttack=> making an attack {pg 40}
somewhat unexepectedly came upon=> somewhat unexpectedly came upon {pg
40}
In relating his incident=> In relating his incident {pg 46}
apt to reecive=> apt to receive {pg 59}
his escort came unexepectedly=> his escort came unexpectedly {pg 98}
part of them were Tennesseeeans=> part of them were Tennesseeans {pg
102}
Forrest loss about 140 officers=> Forrest lost about 140 officers {pg
113}
Forest had complete possession of the city=> Forrest had complete
possession of the city {pg 145}
langauge at hand to express=> language at hand to express {pg 155}
abtruse questions=> abstruse questions {pg 192}
in the enlargment of=> in the enlargement of {pg 198}
End of Project Gutenberg's Notes of a Private, by John Milton Hubbard